- On 22 May the Gauteng Provincial Government signed an agreement with 2 of the 6 Independent Power Producers (IPPs) who will be responsible for the development of the Merafong Local Municipality’s solar farm.
The project was announced by Gauteng Premier, Panyaza Lesufi during the State of the Province Address in February 2024. The 1600 hectares of land was donated by Sibanye Stillwater, and it will afford the independent power producers to create a photovoltaic power station and upon completion it will provide 800 megawatts a substantial boost to the electricity grid.
The project is a Public Private Partnership (PPP) managed and developed by a Non-Profit Company (NPC), Bokamoso Ba Rona. The founding partners of the NPC are the Far West Rand Dolomitic Water Association (FWRDWA), Sibanye Stillwater, West Rand District Municipality, and the Gauteng Infrastructure Financial Agency (GIFA), representing GPG.
The mandate to the IPPs was to source own funding, acquire all required permits for the site development, which means that the project will be implemented at no cost to the provincial government.
“This is a good template for what Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) can achieve to revitalise the economically distressed regions of the province and the country in general. It is also proof that, in the face of a fragile fiscal situation and an era of cost containment, it is still possible for the government to work with private sector partners to effect change, said MEC for Finance, Jacob Mamabolo.
“Energy is an essential component of our economy and ensuring that the nation’s economic hub has a reliable energy supply is vital for economic growth, employment creation, and cushioning its residents, especially impoverished households from load shedding,” said MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Mzi Khumalo.
Author: Bryan Groenendaal
